1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the management and exchange of information and, more particularly, to information management and exchange over networks.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is very common today for individuals to distribute or exchange business cards with others. Normally, the distribution or exchange of business cards occurs during the course of business; however, such distributions or exchanges can also occur in more personal settings.
Business cards contain information pertaining to an individual who is normally associated with a business entity. The information on business cards typically includes a company name, an individual's name, title, phone number, facsimile number, mail address, and email address. Business cards thus record the information that is needed to not only identify but also contact the individuals represented by the business cards.
One problem with conventional approaches to distributing or exchanging business cards is that the information on the business cards often becomes outdated after their distribution. Typically, business cards become outdated when the individuals move offices, change employers, obtain promotions, etc. When the information on a particular business card does become outdated, the information no longer facilitates the contacting of the individual associated with the particular business card. The outdated information is often misleading. In general, the persons receiving the business cards cannot determine from the business cards whether the information on the business cards is still accurate.
Another problem with conventional business cards is that their distribution is manual. As a result, for one's business card to be distributed, the business card needs to be physically handed to another person. Also, when a revised business card with updated information is to be distributed, often there is no way to know who currently holds an older version of the business card. As a result, inaccurate business cards remain in circulation long after being outdated.
Thus, there is a need for improved approaches to automatically distribute and update contact information.